The Portland daily press., 1887-03-04
The cobeIlns.

The art Of tapestry came to us from the
East, and dates from the oldest times. In
Pergamus, Tyre. Sidon and Babylon they
made tapestries embroidered with gold and
silver threads. Pergamus in Italy was es-
pecially renowned for this industry. and its
works were in great demand. This agt be-
gan to be known in France at the tine-or
the Crusades, but in the middle ages tapes
tries were used only in churches and kings
palaces. A few wealthy lords decorated
their castles with them, but their high price
prevented the custom from becoming gener-
al, and the ladies with their maids COM
menced to make those beautiful and elaborate
works which we still admire, wondering at
the taste and patience they display, for they
are indeed historical and biblical pictures Of
no mean merit. We have very celebrated
one left, dating from the eleventh century,
known as the Tapestry Of Bayeux, and rep
resenting the conquest of England by the
Normans. II is said to be the work Of Queen
Matilda, the wife Of William the Conqueror.
Several specimens of a coarser work, belong
ing to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries,
can be seen in the Louvre and in many
churches. especially In the south Of France.
No document gives us the history OF tapes
try In France, from the time II was Imported
there. until 1t obtained a royal protection,
and the manufacture Of the Gobelins was
founded in Paris by the great Colbert, the
minister Of Louis XIV, In 1867. The name
Of Gobelins Is that Of some dyers who lived
in the time Of Francis the First, and had
their establishment where the manufacture
stands now. Later, Flemish artisan came
and began the fabrication Of tapestry there.
So, when Colbert, having restored the royal
residences Of the Louvre and Tuileries,
| wished 10 furnish them with worthy nagnih-
| cence, he called the best artists OF every kind
| he could find, and desiring 70 have them all
| In the same building, he decided the king 70
buy the old Gobelin's place, to which Louis
| XIV. gave the name Of Royal Manufacture
| Of Furniture for the Crown, and Lebrun,
the first painter to the king, was placed at
che head of IL.
The manufacture has, from its creation,
reproduced In tapestry all the paintings OF
the most celebrated contemporary artists.
Now they copy pictures from the Louvre and
Luxembourg museums. The works OF me
GObelinS have reached almost perfection. IL
Is. so TO say, new style Of painting, and
nearly all the men there are true artists.
There are 100 workmen, one hundred OF
whom live In the factory buildings; the 9TH
ers receive certain sum for the rent Of their
lodgings. The government pays all the em-
ployes Of the manufactory by the year, and
two silver medals are given yearly TO the
drtist-lrorkmen who have shown the most
talent and zeal There are connected with
vac NfVpClAho HAAmaiJ otattif anu o~AoNto
for drawing, upholstery and tapestry. APP
prentIces for the works are chosen out Of the
pupils of these schools, who are examined
every other month. medals being distributed
at the end Of the year. The school for tapes
try isin one Of the WOrkr0Oms OF the manu-
factory, the professor being one Of the artist
workmen. The pupils learn there all the
branches OF the art, from the matching Of
c0lOrS and shades and imitation OF Orna-
ments and flowers to the reproduction OF his-
torical paintings. An artist can make year
ly, on an average, one square metre Of tapes
try Ia little over yard. The price OF me-
tire OF Gobelins tapestry Is valued at 40OOf
$4,000. The dyeing processes OF the Gobe-
Inns are not less renowned than its works,
and the director Of the dyeing works IS now
NJ. Cheyreul. the celebrated chemist. Every
year on the 10th of October, M. Chevreul
gives public lecture on Chemistry Applied
to the Art Of Dyeng." One has only to Yis-
II the stOrerooms of the Gobelins and see the
beauty and graduation of shades In the tap
estries and carpets to appreciate the skill OF
the dyers.
The products of the Gobelins used to be
exhibited at the Louvre every Othor year;
but finding that il takes five or six years, and
often more 10 make large sized tapestry,
these exhibitions have been stopped. When
piece is finished, II Is placed in the exhi-
bitiOn hall of the factory. There can be
seen copies Of the most celebrated paintings,
rendering with the greatest fidelity the beau
ties Of the original
The works Of the Gobelins are not sold
they are used in the palaces and chateaux be-
longing TO the State, or given In presents by
the government.